10 Best Online PhDs in Counseling Programs in 2021

Located in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh offers a Ph.D. program in counseling psychology that is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Students take coursework in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, human development, and more. Students are highly involved in research and practicums and must complete a college teaching apprenticeship to graduate. There is also a dissertation requirement with supervision from a faculty mentor.

• Graduation rate: 88%
• Program length: 4-5 years
• Credits: 72 credits (with master's degree); 102 credits (without master's degree)
• Admissions requirements: Transcripts, GPA of 3.0, two letters of recommendation, personal statement (GRE scores waived for 2021)
• Program Website 

University of Maryland's Ph.D. in counseling psychology is accredited by the APA and prepares students for academic, research, and practice careers. It uses the scientist-practitioner model, which emphasizes a mix of research and practice. In addition to general psychology courses, students take counseling psychology seminars, perform research under faculty supervision, and experience applied counseling practice throughout their time in the program. Students work on their dissertation during their fifth year and undertake a full-time internship during the sixth year.

• Graduation rate: 41%
• Program length: 6 years
• Credits: 72 credits
• Admissions requirements: Transcripts, statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, GRE scores, CV/resume, writing sample, any applicable publications or presentations
• Program Website 

OSU's Ph.D. in counseling program is accredited by The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and focuses on preparing students to be leaders and advocates in the field. Possible career choices include advanced practitioner, clinical supervisor, and counselor education. The program is in hybrid form: in-person classes occur twice each quarter. Courses include advanced group counseling, university teaching, and research methods in education. A thesis and internship are also required.

• Graduation rate: 62.5%
• Program length: 3-5 years
• Credits: 150 credits (including master's transfer credits)
• Admissions requirements: Master's degree in counseling or a closely related field with a GPA of 3.0, three letters of recommendation, writing sample
• Program Website 

UWG's CACREP-accredited program in professional counseling and supervision leads to an Ed.D. degree, rather than a Ph.D. The program includes mandatory multi-day orientation sessions each summer at the Carrollton, Georgia, campus. Other courses are taught online asynchronously. Courses include work in research writing, program evaluation, and advocacy for marginalized populations. An internship and practicum are required, as is a dissertation. 

• Graduation rate: 69%
• Program length: 2-3 years (students without an Ed.S. will take a year longer)
• Credits: 39 credits (accelerated track for those with an Ed.S. in counseling) or 60 credits (for those without an Ed.S. degree)
• Admissions requirements: Transcripts, licensing (or be license-eligible), 3.5 GPA, GRE scores (minimum 151 verbal, 142 quantitative, 3.5 writing), master’s in counseling or related field, three years of counseling experience, personal essay, three recommendation letters, CV
• Program Website 

Accredited by the APA, the University of Iowa's Ph.D. program in counseling psychology emphasizes the training of counselors and psychologists as informed by community-engaged practice coupled with advanced scholarship. Students complete coursework in research, psychology, counseling psychology core competencies, and electives such as correlation and regression, design of experiments, and research writing. Students spend one year working at an internship. They also complete a comprehensive oral and written exam and write a dissertation.

• Graduation rate: 72%
• Program length: 6 years
• Credits: 103 credits
• Admissions requirements: Bachelor's degree, 3.0 GPA (3.5 GPA if the applicant has a graduate degree), transcripts, GRE scores (waived for 2021), personal statement, CV/resume, three letters of recommendation
• Program Website 

Located in Williamsburg, KY, the University of the Cumberlands offers an online Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision. The degree is geared toward counseling professionals who want to take their careers a step further by teaching at the higher education level or serving in a leadership position.You will take courses in areas such as research design and inferential statistics so that you are able to contribute original research to the profession. The program is accredited by CACREP and is fully online.

• Graduation rate: 40%
• Program length: 3 years
• Credits: 66 credits
• Admissions requirements: Master's degree from a CACREP-accredited program, professional clinical license or certification, GPA of 3.5 for graduate work, NCE or NCMHCE test scores, writing sample, two letters of recommendation, resume
• Program Website 

Liberty University's CACREP-accredited Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision allows you to become an educator at the university level or gain new skills to accept a supervisory position and mentor other counselors. The program provides advanced training in counseling techniques, counselor education and supervision, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy. The Virginia-based institution's generous military discount offers classes in this program to veterans for only $300 per credit hour. 

• Graduation rate: 54%
• Program length: 4 years
• Credits: 60 credits
• Admissions requirements: Master's degree in counseling or a related field from an accredited institution, 3.25 GPA for graduate work, transcripts, two recommendations, letter of intent, CV, Ph.D. graduate status record
• Program Website 

Regent University, an institution in Virginia Beach, VA, offers a Ph.D. program in counseling and psychological studies. The program focuses on a common core in research, statistics, psychometrics and Christian leadership. Elective courses allow you to specialize in a particular area of interest, such as addictions counseling, life coaching, or pastoral counseling. A research concentration is also available for those interested in research, grant writing, and policy analysis. 

• Graduation rate: 61%
• Program length: 3 years
• Credits: 51
• Admissions requirements: Master's degree in a mental health field, 3.5 GPA in graduate studies, one year of experience in a mental health field, CV/resume, transcripts, graduate academic paper
• Program Website 

TWU's APA-accredited counseling psychology Ph.D. program is the only program in the U.S. with an explicitly feminist orientation. The program values social justice, using the practitioner-scientist model to prepare students for leadership roles in a range of mental health settings and to become advocates for change. In addition to core courses in subjects like social psychology, students take advanced electives such as the psychology of human sexuality. There is supervised fieldwork, a practicum, and a dissertation required.

• Graduation rate: 48%
• Program length: 3 years
• Credits: 105 credits
• Admissions requirements: Bachelor's degree, master's degree preferred, at least 18 semester hours in psychology, 3.5 GPA for psychology courses, CV, personal essay
• Program Website 

Located in the Bronx, NY, Fordham's APA-accredited Ph.D. in counseling psychology has a 100% pass rate for the EPPP psychology licensing exam. Students are prepared for both research and counseling practice, and the program emphasizes multicultural counseling, ethics, and social justice advocacy. There are multiple opportunities for student-led research with faculty feedback, as well as a full year of field experience and two years of doctoral practicum experience. 

• Graduation rate: 83%
• Program length: 6-7 years
• Credits: 72 credits
• Admissions requirements: bachelor's degree, 3.0 undergraduate GPA, 3.5 graduate GPA, personal statement, CV/resume, transcripts, two letters of recommendation, GRE scores (optional for 2021)
• Program Website